--------------------------------------------------
The Political Machine
FAQ by Craig Gettman
--------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents
I. Introduction/Version History
II. About the game
1) The basics
2) Stamina
3) Political Capital, Endorsements, and Operatives
4) Money (and the importance of fund-raising)
5) "Random" events and Activists
6) Interviews
7) The Fifty States (an overview)
8) Issues and Advertising
9) Miscellaneous Info.
III. The "Walkthrough"
1) Setup, controls, and general guidelines
a) Game Setup
b) Controls
c) General guidelines
2. Quick Play
3. Campaign Mode
a) Democratic Campaign
b) Republican Campaign
4. Fantasy Play
5. Multiplayer
IV. The Characters
1) Barbara Bush
2) George Bush
3) George W. Bush
4) Laura Bush
5) Jimmy Carter
6) Dick Cheney
7) Wesley Clark
8) Bill Clinton
9) Hillary Clinton
10) John Edwards
11) Mike Forbes
12) Gerald Ford
13) Dick Gephardt
14) Al Gore
15) Ulysses S. Grant
16) Jeffory Jackson
17) Thomas Jefferson
18) Lyndon B. Johnson
19) John Kerry
20) Abraham Lincoln
21) Bill Mason
22) Richard Nixon
23) Ronald Reagan
24) Condoleezza Rice
25) Bill Richardson
26) Franklin D. Roosevelt
27) Theodore Roosevelt
28) Arnold Schwarzenegger
29) Chloe Sullivan
30) William Taft
31) Tom Vilsack
32) George Washington
33) Woodrow Wilson
V. Endorsements, Operatives, and Activists
VI. The Hard Data
1) Stamina costs
2) Political Capital Costs
3) Money costs
VII. The Issues
1) Main Issues
2) Fantasy Issues
VIII. Glossary of terms
IX. Secrets and stuff
X. Bugs, Observations, and Wish List
XI. Acknowledgements, etc.
XII. The end of the FAQ
Note: All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.
--------------------------------------------------
The Political Machine FAQ
I. Introduction/Version History
Hi. So, this is it: my first FAQ. There's not a lot of guesswork here, as
this is just a basic cut and dry FAQ that I hope will suffice. Please note
that this FAQ is not intended to replace the game manual, which is where you
should turn if you're having trouble getting the game to run, etc.
+ Version 1.00: Started the FAQ.
- Wrote initial info.
- Started Walkthrough section.
- Wrote Candidate info. section.
- Started Endorsements, Operatives, and Activists section.
- Started Hard Data section.
- Started Acknowledgements, etc. section.
- Started Secrets and stuff section.
- Started Glossary section.
- Wrote "The end of the FAQ"
+ Version 1.01: Project "Clean-up"
- Corrected some spelling/grammar errors.
- Checked document for consistency.
- Reformatted document.
+ Version 1.10: Additional Info
- Added "The Issues" section
- Added "Bugs, Observations, and Wish List" section
- Corrected some info.
+ Version 1.11: Minor stuff
- Updated legal info
- Added comment about Maryland
- Added Illinois to EV list (sorry to any Illinois residents out there)
+ Version 1.20: Random updates
- Added Cheat codes
- Included some outside comments
- Started "Links" section
- Made a few minor corrections
--------------------------------------------------
II. About the game
Here, I've tried to think of some basic questions people might have about
this game. Please feel free to submit more.
1) The Basics
Q: What is The Political Machine (TPM)?
A: The Political Machine (TPM) is a turn-based game simulating a 41-week
campaign for Presidency of the U.S. There are different modes of play, but
that's basically what the game consists of.
Q: Who made TPM?
A: Stardock Entertainment. It was published by Ubisoft.
Q: Why buy this game? Won't the election be over after this year?
A: The developers put Bush and Kerry in there because they're the current
focus of the election year. However, there are many other candidates you can
use. Also, there will be periodic updates on the official website as the
current political climate changes. See the "Links" section under Section XI.
Q: What's with candidates like Chloe Sullivan and Arnold Schwarzenegger?
A: The game is meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek; although, it's a pretty
accurate representation of how a political campaign might work (albeit a very
streamlined one). I'll assume, unless I hear otherwise, that the designers
put a few fantasy candidates in there to see if people are paying attention.
Q: So who's the best candidate?
A: Hands down, George Washington is the best overall. But you can't use him
until you unlock him in the Democratic Campaign mode. Thomas Jefferson is no
slouch, either, but you have to unlock him via the Republican Campaign mode.
Before you unlock anyone, Chloe Sullivan is the best Democratic candidate
(aside from a lack of experience) while George Bush Sr. is probably the best
Republican Candidate. Of course, it all depends on how you like to play, too.
2) Stamina
Q: What is Stamina?
A: Stamina is the basic "currency" of TPM. You spend Stamina points almost
every time you do something in the game.
Q: How many Stamina points does it cost to do x?
A: Raw data on this sort of thing is located in Section VI.
3) Political Capital, Endorsements, and Operatives
Q: What is Political Capital?
A: Political Capital (PC) is a secondary "currency" in TPM. You spend Stamina
points to buy PC, which can in turn let you earn Endorsements and hire
Operatives.
Q: What are Endorsements?
A: You can spend PC to earn the backing of one of the main organizations
present in TPM. For full info on these people, look no further than Section
V.
Q: What are Operatives?
A: Operatives are people you can hire by spending PC. These people can then
be used to tweak something in a specific state. For more info, please refer
to Section V.
4) Money (and the importance of fund-raising)
Q: What about money?
A: Yes, you have to spend money. A candidate usually starts out with a few
million dollars in cash, which you can use to buy him/her HQ's and set up
ads.
Q: Should I ever "Raise Funds"?
A: Yes, definitely! Don't neglect the importance of money, especially in the
latter part of your campaign. Remember it costs money just to move from state
to state, so keep that in mind if you're low on cash.
5) "Random" events and Activists
Q: What are Random Events?
A: When a question mark pops up on the map, you can make the choice whether
or not you want your candidate to visit that state (though 9 times out of 10,
your opponent will beat you to it). These events can be helpful or hurtful,
depending on what sort of Activist you find there.
Q: What are Activists?
A: Activists are anything you find when your candidate visits a Random Event.
One example of a harmful Activist is the "Time Waster." This particular
Activist saps your candidate's remaining Stamina! So be careful, but don't be
afraid to visit Random Events: you might find some money waiting for you. ;)
For more information, please refer to Section V.
6) Interviews
Q: How do I do an Interview?
A: First of all, you have to wait until a camera pops up in a specific state.
If you see one, it's almost always a good idea to go there and do the
interview. Answering however you might think your candidate might answer is
critical.
7) The Fifty States (an overview)
Q: Which states should I focus on?
A: That's really up to you and your style of play. Below, I've included a
table, listing each state's Electoral Votes (EV) and political leanings.
State - EV - Politics
-------------------------
Alabama - 9 - R
Alaska - 3 - E
Arizona - 10 - D
Arkansas - 9 - D
California - 55 - D
Colorado - 9 - R
Connecticut - 7 - D
Delaware - 3 - D
Florida - 27 - R
Georgia - 15 - R
Hawaii - 4 - D
Idaho - 4 - R
Illinois - 21 - E (Chris pointed this omission out. Thanks!)
Indiana - 11 - R
Iowa - 7 - R
Kansas - 6 - R
Kentucky - 8 - D
Louisiana - 9 - R
Maine - 4 - D
Maryland - 13 - D *
Massachusetts - 12 - D
Michigan - 17 - D
Minnesota - 10 - D
Mississippi - 6 - R
Missouri - 11 - D
Montana - 3 - R
Nebraska - 5 - R
Nevada - 5 - R
New Hampshire - 4 - D
New Jersey - 15 - D
New Mexico - 5 - D
New York - 31 - D
North Carolina - 15 - R
North Dakota - 3 - R
Ohio - 20 - D
Oklahoma - 7 - R
Oregon - 7 - D
Pennsylvania - 21 - D
Rhode Island - 4 - D
South Carolina - 8 - R
South Dakota - 3 - R
Tennessee - 11 - R
Texas - 34 - R
Utah - 5 - R
Vermont - 3 - R
Virginia - 13 - R
Washington - 11 - D
West Virginia - 5 - D
Wisconsin - 10 - D
Wyoming - 3 - R
Key: D = Democrat, E = Even, R = Republican
* = Since D.C. isn't in the game, Maryland got 3 extra EV's.
Please note that if you alter the game settings in any way, or choose
candidates besides Bush and Kerry, the above political information could be
different. Also, any candidate, regardless of politics, can win any state if
one spends time and money wooing voters there.
8) Issues and Advertising
Q: What are the Top Issues?
A: These are pretty random per game, but with the default settings the Top
Issue is almost always either "The War in Iraq" or "The War on Terror." If
you change the settings, obviously that will differ. I'm also assuming that,
with future updates to this game, these issues will probably change. Please see
Section VII for more info.
Q: How should I advertise?
A: Again, this is mostly up to you and your style of play. I find that
newspaper ads, while inexpensive, are effective enough to get the job done.
However, if you have money to burn I don't see any reason why you shouldn't
put up radio or TV ads. The key here is to try to focus on one of the Top
Issues in a specific state. If it's a "battle ground" state, you might have
to focus on more than one Top Issue.
Q: What effect does building HQ's have on Issues and Advertising?
A: If you build an HQ in a state, your ads there will become more effective.
Voters will pay more attention, therefore, to your stance on the Top Issues.
9) Miscellaneous Info. (i.e. Advice)
Q: Help! I'm stuck! What should I do?
A: Below, I've included some basic advice:
+ Try not to waste Stamina. Section VI includes Stamina costs for just about
everything in the game. Budget well.
+ Don't neglect Political Capital. You can win an election by not spending
one point of Stamina on Political Capital, but keep in mind your opponent
knows how to use it. And trust me, your opponent WILL use it.
+ Beware lawsuits! If you're running low on cash, don't take any random
events. Chances are, you'll get a lawsuit, thereby strapping you of cash and
forcing you to do fundraising in a state where you might not be able to make
enough money to get out (trust me, I lost an election this way once).
+ Use Operatives wisely. Every time you use one, the cost of using that same
Operative again goes up. So only use them if you desperately need to.
+ Don't fight too hard to win one state. This rule applies even to the "big"
states. You'll end up spending ALL your Stamina, Money, Political Capital,
etc. when your time could be better spent by chasing votes in a variety of
places.
+ Don't neglect endorsements. You can win a lot of approval from certain
voters by having certain endorsements.
+ Try to pick a running mate who complements your candidate's abilities. In
other words, if your candidate is weak in a certain trait, pick a running
mate who has a strong showing in that ability. Also, picking a candidate
who's from a specific state can sometimes help your cause to win that state.
+ When your candidate's strength in a state drops, be sure to visit there and
see if the Top Issues have changed. Also, keep an eye on what Operatives and
Activists your opponent uses.
+ Having a bit of political knowledge helps, but isn't always necessary.
Generally, picking a candidate you're familiar with is useful, but don't be
afraid to do some research or experiment.
+ Overall, have fun and remember: it's just a game! :)
--------------------------------------------------
III. The "Walkthrough"
Here, I've given what amounts to a Walkthrough for the game. This is by no
means exhaustive, as there are many different ways to play this game.
1) Setup, controls, and general guidelines
Note: Some of this info may be "common sense" but I've included it here
anyway.
A) Game Setup
1. Main Menu:
+ Resume Game: Resumes current game (only if you have one in progress).
+ Quick Play: Start a Single-player Quick game (one game session).
+ Campaign Play: Start a Single-player Campaign game (several game sessions).
+ Fantasy Play: Start a Single-player Fantasy game (one game session).
+ Join Multiplayer Campaign: Start a Multiplayer game.
+ Options:
- Play Music (checkbox): Check if you like the music, uncheck if you don't.
- Play Sound FX (checkbox): Check if you want to hear the airplane noises and
whatnot, uncheck if you don't.
- Volume (slider): Adjust the loudness of the music and FX.
- Skip Intro (checkbox): Check this if you don't want to sit through the
intro every time the game loads. Alternatively, if you leave it unchecked,
you can press "Enter" when the game begins to skip it.
- Hardware Mouse Cursor (checkbox): Forces the game to use the default cursor
for Windows.
- Anti-Aliasing 2x (checkbox): Smoothes out the look of the game somewhat.
- Anti-Aliasing 4x (checkbox): Smoothes out the look of the game a bit more
(note: you can only select one or the other, not both).
- Show News (checkbox): If checked, the game will periodically show updates
about what's happened in a given period (usually every 10 weeks).
- Show Help on Start Game (checkbox): If checked, will show tips upon
starting a new game.
- Start game in Window (checkbox): If checked, the game will run in a window
rather than full-screen mode.
- Main Menu (button): Goes back to the main menu.
- High Scores (button): Views the High Score list.
- Load/Save Menu (button): Load or Save a game (version 1.01 or later only).
- Quit (button): Quits the game and exits to Windows.
- Resume Game (button): Resumes your current game (only if you have one in
progress).
+ High Scores: View High Score list.
+ Credits: View game Credits.
+ Load/Save Menu: Load or Save a game (version 1.01 or later only).
+ Quit: Quits the game and exits to Windows.
Once you start a game you can sometimes set other options; these will be
covered within their respective categories.
B) Controls
TPM is operated using the mouse. You can also use the following keyboard
commands:
+ Within a State:
1 = Create ad
2 = Campaign (Make Speech)
3 = Raise Funds
4 = Build/Upgrade Headquarters
5 = Special Interest (Build PC, Earn Endorsement, Hire Operative)
6 = State Details
+ Map View:
F1 = Normal Mode (no color coding)
F2 = Awareness (states turn shade of green depending on how aware voters are
of your candidate; a brighter shade means they're more aware)
F3 = Wealth (states turn shade of yellow depending on how wealthy they are;
a brighter shade means that state is wealthier)
F4 = Electoral Votes (states turn shade of purple depending on how many EV's
they have; a brighter shade means more EV's)
F5 = Polling Data (states turn blue or red based on current polling data)
F6 = Liberals/Conservatives (states turn shade of blue or red depending on
how many liberals or conservatives are present, respectively - brighter blue
means more liberals, while brighter red means more conservatives)
F7 = Popular Vote (states turn blue or red based on popular vote)
F8 = Political Strategy (displays map with current prediction of how states
will vote, including a summary of EV's)
+ Map:
C = Select Candidate
Tab = Selects (in turn) your ads, Operatives, HQ's, and Activists.
C) General Guidelines
On the main menu, you can choose between four modes of play: Quick, Campaign,
Fantasy, and Multiplayer. For each of these modes, the following general set
of guidelines applies:
+ After setting your options and choosing your candidate, immediately start
building HQ's in different states. Keep in mind that, if you're playing
against the computer, the computer opponent always goes first. This doesn't
change your top priority in the beginning of the game: building HQ's.
+ After the first week or so, seriously consider setting up some ads and
perhaps even spending some Stamina points to earn Political Capital. Use this
strategy to make your presence known in each state you desire, regardless of
whether or not you set up an HQ there. Keep in mind, though, that your ads
will have more effect if there is an HQ present.
+ You'll generally want to start thinking about endorsements after you've set
up several HQ's and made several ads. A good rule to use is to try to have at
least one endorsement by week 5, or 10 at the latest.
+ Thus you have the basic formula for success: building HQ's and making ads.
Spending Political Capital on Endorsements doesn't hurt, either.
+ You may also run into the following issues and elements:
- Random events. As I mentioned before, these can be your friend or your
enemy. If your candidate is winning hands-down, it might be fun to just chase
random events around, seeing what might happen. If the election is tight,
selecting a state with a random event in it may not be a good idea.
- Interviews. Usually a good idea, but keep in mind that the questions are
not always easy to answer, especially since your personal inclinations might
get in the way.
- Opponents' Operatives and Activists. I've yet to see the computer use an
Operative, but it will almost always use an Activist if it has one. Simply
hire a Fixer if the computer's Activist is causing too much damage.
- Attention Deficit: if you visit a state and then go away for a while, your
candidate might end up losing favor there. This is especially true when
playing against a human opponent, as your opponent will know that absence
doesn't make the heart grow fonder in TPM. ;)
+ I'll say it once and I'll say it again: try to keep abreast of the issues.
As you visit each state, pay attention to what the top issues are. You can
take advantage of ads created in support or opposition of current events this
way.
2) Quick Play Mode
A) Create Game screen
Manager: Put your name here, or make up a name.
Game Name: Name the game (purely aesthetic).
World Setup:
+ Domestic Status: Set the current overall "mood" within the U.S.
- National Rioting = Voters tend to be focused on quelling internal unrest.
- Statewide Unrest = Voters tend to be on edge, but will focus on outside
issues such as The War on Terror.
- Overall Peacefulness = Voters tend to focus on internal issues such as Jobs
and Taxes, unless Foreign Status is set to Global War.
+ Foreign Status: Set the current overall "mood" worldwide.
- International Peace = Voters tend to focus on issues in the U.S.
- International Tension = Voters tend to focus on issues outside the U.S.
- Global War = Voters focus on issues outside the U.S., unless Domestic
Status is set to National Rioting.
+ Economy: Set the strength of the U.S. Economy.
- Depression = Voters focus on economic recovery issues.
- Recession = Voters tend to focus on economic issues, unless Domestic Status
is set to National Rioting.
- Weak = Voters may or may not ignore economy entirely, depending on current
Domestic and Foreign status.
- Strong = Voters will probably ignore economic issues entirely.
+ Difficulty: Set the difficulty of the game. Doesn't affect voting issues.
- Cakewalk = Your candidate will win easily, and minimal effort is required.
- Easy = Your candidate should win easily, and minimal effort is required.
- Simple = Your candidate might win easily, but some effort is required.
- Beginner = Your candidate usually wins with proper effort.
- Normal = Your candidate will win only with a fair amount of effort. Things
get a little tricky here.
- Challenging = Your candidate might win, but only with a good amount of
effort.
- Tough = Your candidate will only win if you're dedicated enough. Things get
really tricky here.
- Painful = Your candidate will only win if you're very dedicated and plan
very well. You might need to just get lucky here, too.
- Crippling = Your candidate will only win if you're very dedicated AND get
extremely lucky!
- Masochistic = Only those who eat, sleep, and drink TPM have a chance here,
and it's still a very, very slim one. Good luck!
B) Game Setup screen
1. Player: Set up your preferred political candidate here.
2. Opponent: Set up your preferred opponent here.
2) Campaign Mode
Campaign mode allows you to unlock certain characters in TPM, who would
otherwise be unavailable to you in Quick Play, Fantasy, or Multiplayer modes.
The candidates that you unlock depend solely on party choice: if you play as
a Democratic candidate, you'll unlock the Republicans, and vice versa.
Otherwise, use the same set of guidelines for Campaign Mode as you do for
Quick Play. However, keep in mind that whatever political climate you set up
for Quick Play applies to Campaign Mode, and there's no way to set up
separate settings.
a) Democratic Campaign
The Democratic campaign allows you to unlock the Republican candidates. There
are ten opponents in all to best, and as expected, the difficulty of these
opponents rises with each step. The opponents for the Democratic campaign are
as follows:
1. Condoleezza Rice*
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger*
3. William Taft
4. Gerald Ford
5. Ulysses S. Grant
6. Richard Nixon
7. Theodore Roosevelt
8. Ronald Reagan
9. Abraham Lincoln
10. George Washington
* = unlocked at start of game.
b) Republican Campaign
The Republican campaign allows you to unlock the Democratic candidates. There
are ten opponents in all to best, and as expected, the difficulty of these
opponents rises with each step. The opponents for the Republican campaign are
as follows:
1. Wesley Clark
2. Jimmy Carter
3. Bill Richardson
4. Dick Gephardt
5. Al Gore*
6. Bill Clinton*
7. Lyndon B. Johnson
8. Woodrow Wilson
9. Franklin D. Roosevelt
10. Thomas Jefferson
* = unlocked at start of game.
3) Fantasy Play
A) Game Setup screen
+ Manager Name: Identical to Quick Play Mode.
+ World Settings: Identical to Quick Play Mode.
+ Candidate Settings:
- Starting Wealth: Start with a maximum of $5 mil.
- Starting Awareness: Percentage of voters who know about your candidate at
the start of the game.
+ Political Capital:
- Endorsement Cost: How much PC it costs to get an endorsement.
- Operative Cost: How much PC it costs initially to hire an Operative.
+ Randomize Values:
- State Populations (checkbox): If checked, will randomly reassign state
populations (and also EV's).
- State Wealth (checkbox): If checked, will randomly reassign state wealth.
Important if you plan to do fund-raising.
- Issue Importance (checkbox): If checked, will randomly pick Top Issues.
- Percentage of Democrats and Republicans per state (checkbox): If checked,
will randomly reassign political party percentages in each state.
Note that Fantasy Play is kinda like a "Sandbox" mode allowing you to
experiment with the different settings.
4) Multiplayer
Due to the nature of human unpredictability, it's hard to say what a
"typical" multiplayer game might be like. Using the same strategies you use
in solo games to attempt to win multiplayer may not work: obviously, your
opponent knows what he/she is doing and when/how to do it. Your best bet is
to try to play nice. If you get nasty, your opponent will get nasty. It's
that simple. To win, you might need to be a bit more on top of your game than
you would normally. In general, if you can beat the computer hands-down on
ANY difficulty level, you're probably good to go. In other words: practice
makes perfect. ;)
--------------------------------------------------
IV. The Characters
Here, I've included data on all the candidates in the game, in alphabetical
order. Please see section XI for contact info if anything is missing or
incorrect.
1) Barbara Bush
Available: Start of game
Party: Republican
Home State: Maine
Who: Wife of former President George Bush.
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 6
Experience - 8
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 9
Intelligence - 6
Media Bias - 3
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 2
Religion - 7
Initial Stamina: 11
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
2) George Bush
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Connecticut
Who: 41st President of U.S. (1989-1993)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 4
Credibility - 8
Experience - 9
Fund-raising Ability - 7
Integrity - 8
Intelligence - 8
Media Bias - 4
Military XP - 9
Minority Appeal - 2
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3.9 mil.
3) George W. Bush
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Texas
Who: 43rd President of U.S. (2001-?)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 5
Credibility - 7
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 8
Integrity - 7
Intelligence - 5
Media Bias - 1
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 3
Religion - 7
Initial Stamina: 13
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
4) Laura Bush
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Texas
Who: Wife of current President George W. Bush.
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 8
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 1
Fund-raising Ability - 6
Integrity - 9
Intelligence - 5
Media Bias - 4
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 3
Religion - 9
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
5) Jimmy Carter
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: Georgia
Who: 39th President of U.S. (1977-1981)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 10
Credibility - 7
Experience - 7
Fund-raising Ability - 6
Integrity - 9
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 5
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 9
Initial Stamina: 10
Initial Funds: $2 mil.
6) Dick Cheney
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Wyoming
Who: Current Vice President
Traits:
Charisma - 4
Comeliness - 4
Compassion - 3
Credibility - 7
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 9
Media Bias - 1
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 1
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 10
Initial Funds: $3.5 mil.
7) Wesley Clark
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: Arkansas
Who: Former Presidential hopeful
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 2
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 2
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 10
Initial Funds: $2 mil.
8) Bill Clinton
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: Arkansas
Who: 42nd President of U.S. (1993-2001)
Traits:
Charisma - 9
Comeliness - 8
Compassion - 8
Credibility - 4
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 2
Intelligence - 8
Media Bias - 8
Military XP - 2
Minority Appeal - 7
Religion - 2
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3 mil.
9) Hillary Clinton
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: New York
Who: Wife of former President Bill Clinton
Traits:
Charisma - 6
Comeliness - 7
Compassion - 3
Credibility - 5
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 8
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 8
Media Bias - 8
Military XP - 1
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
10) John Edwards
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: North Carolina
Who: Current running mate for John Kerry
Traits:
Charisma - 9
Comeliness - 7
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 6
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 6
Integrity - 7
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 7
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 6
Initial Stamina: 14
Initial Funds: $3.8 mil.
11) Mike Forbes
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Tennessee
Who: Former Presidential hopeful.
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 4
Credibility - 4
Experience - 2
Fund-raising Ability - 10
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 6
Media Bias - 1
Military XP - 3
Minority Appeal - 1
Religion - 3
Initial Stamina: 15
Initial Funds: $4.2 mil.
12) Gerald Ford
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: Michigan
Who: 38th President of U.S. (1974-1977)
Traits:
Charisma - 6
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 6
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 4
Integrity - 9
Intelligence - 5
Media Bias - 2
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 3
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3 mil.
13) Dick Gephardt
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: Missouri
Who: Democratic Majority Leader
Traits:
Charisma - 6
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 6
Experience - 8
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 6
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 6
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 6
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3 mil.
14) Al Gore
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: Tennessee
Who: Former Vice President
Traits:
Charisma - 3
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 5
Credibility - 5
Experience - 5
Fund-raising Ability - 7
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 6
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 6
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 13
Initial Funds: $3.9 mil.
15) Ulysses S. Grant
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: Ohio
Who: 18th President of U.S. (1869-1877)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 2
Experience - 2
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 6
Media Bias - 2
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 7
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
16) Jeffory Jackson
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: Wyoming
Who: Related to Jesse? Any outside info here would be appreciated.
Traits:
Charisma - 7
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 3
Fund-raising Ability - 6
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 6
Media Bias - 5
Military XP - 3
Minority Appeal - 9
Religion - 7
Initial Stamina: 13
Initial Funds: $3.6 mil.
17) Thomas Jefferson
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: Virginia
Who: 3rd President of U.S. (1801-1809)
Traits:
Charisma - 10
Comeliness - 9
Compassion - 9
Credibility - 10
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 10
Integrity - 8
Intelligence - 10
Media Bias - 10
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 3
Religion - 8
Initial Stamina: 15
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
18) Lyndon B. Johnson
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: Texas
Who: 36th President of U.S. (1963-1969)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 7
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 8
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 13
Initial Funds: $3.5 mil.
19) John Kerry
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: Massachusetts
Who: Current Democratic Party nominee for President
Traits:
Charisma - 4
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 7
Experience - 7
Fund-raising Ability - 7
Integrity - 6
Intelligence - 6
Media Bias - 8
Military XP - 9
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 3
Initial Stamina: 14
Initial Funds: $3.6 mil.
20) Abraham Lincoln
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: Illinois
Who: 16th President of U.S. (1861-1865)
Traits:
Charisma - 8
Comeliness - 3
Compassion - 9
Credibility - 9
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 10
Integrity - 10
Intelligence - 9
Media Bias - 7
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 10
Religion - 7
Initial Stamina: 11
Initial Funds: $1 mil
21) Bill Mason
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Kansas
Who: According to the Internet, a famous director for canoeing films. Any
outside info would be appreciated.
Traits:
Charisma - 4
Comeliness - 4
Compassion - 4
Credibility - 8
Experience - 9
Fund-raising Ability - 8
Integrity - 6
Intelligence - 8
Media Bias - 4
Military XP - 9
Minority Appeal - 2
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3.8 mil
22) Richard Nixon
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: California
Who: 37th President of U.S. (1969-1974)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 3
Compassion - 3
Credibility - 5
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 2
Intelligence - 10
Media Bias - 2
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 14
Initial Funds: $4 mil
23) Ronald Reagan
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: California
Who: 40th President of U.S. (1981-1989)
Traits:
Charisma - 9
Comeliness - 8
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 9
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 6
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 5
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $4 mil
24) Condoleezza Rice
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: Alabama
Who: Current National Security Advisor
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 7
Compassion - 3
Credibility - 9
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 7
Integrity - 9
Intelligence - 9
Media Bias - 4
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 6
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 10
Initial Funds: $2.8 mil
25) Bill Richardson
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: New Mexico
Who: Governor of NM and former UN ambassador
Traits:
Charisma - 6
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 7
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 6
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 6
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3 mil
26) Franklin D. Roosevelt
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: New York
Who: 32nd President of U.S. (1933-1945)
Traits:
Charisma - 8
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 7
Credibility - 9
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 10
Integrity - 8
Intelligence - 8
Media Bias - 9
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 14
Initial Funds: $4 mil
27) Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: New York
Who: 26th President of U.S. (1901-1909)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 7
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 2
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $4 mil
28) Arnold Schwarzenegger
Available: Start of Game
Party: Republican
Home State: California
Who: Current Governor of CA
Traits:
Charisma - 6
Comeliness - 6
Compassion - 4
Credibility - 5
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 8
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 5
Media Bias - 7
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 4
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $4.2 mil.
29) Chloe Sullivan
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: New York
Who: Probably based on the character of the same name on "Smallville." Please
correct me if I'm wrong.
Traits:
Charisma - 8
Comeliness - 10
Compassion - 9
Credibility - 9
Experience - 1
Fund-raising Ability - 6
Integrity - 9
Intelligence - 9
Media Bias - 10
Military XP - 4
Minority Appeal - 6
Religion - 2
Initial Stamina: 15
Initial Funds: $3 mil
30) William Taft
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: Ohio
Who: 27th President of U.S. (1909-1913)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 7
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 2
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 4
Initial Stamina: 11
Initial Funds: $3 mil.
31) Tom Vilsack
Available: Start of Game
Party: Democrat
Home State: Iowa
Who: Governor of Iowa
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 4
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 4
Experience - 6
Fund-raising Ability - 6
Integrity - 5
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 5
Military XP - 5
Minority Appeal - 5
Religion - 5
Initial Stamina: 12
Initial Funds: $3.1 mil
32) George Washington
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Republican
Home State: Virginia
Who: 1st President of U.S. (1789-1797)
Traits:
Charisma - 10
Comeliness - 9
Compassion - 9
Credibility - 10
Experience - 10
Fund-raising Ability - 10
Integrity - 10
Intelligence - 8
Media Bias - 10
Military XP - 10
Minority Appeal - 9
Religion - 9
Initial Stamina: 15
Initial Funds: $4 mil.
33) Woodrow Wilson
Available: Unlocked in Campaign Mode
Party: Democrat
Home State: Georgia
Who: 28th President of U.S. (1913-1921)
Traits:
Charisma - 5
Comeliness - 5
Compassion - 6
Credibility - 5
Experience - 7
Fund-raising Ability - 9
Integrity - 7
Intelligence - 7
Media Bias - 6
Military XP - 6
Minority Appeal - 1
Religion - 7
Initial Stamina: 14
Initial Funds: $3 mil.
--------------------------------------------------
V. Endorsements, Operatives, and Activists
Here, I've listed and described each of the Endorsements, Operatives, and
Activists.
1) Endorsements
All Endorsements cost 8 PC by default.
A) The Christian Confederation:
- Subtracts 5 points from your candidate's Abortion Rights stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Traditional Values stance.
B) National Association for Women:
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Abortion Rights stance.
- Adds 5 points to your candidate's Gay Marriage stance.
C) National Civil Liberties Union:
- Subtracts 5 points from your candidate's Prayer in Public Schools stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Protecting Liberties stance.
D) National Foreign Policy Committee:
- Adds 5 points to your candidate's Homeland Security stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's War on Terror stance.
E) National Gun-owner's Association:
- Subtracts 5 points from your candidate's Gun Control stance.
- Adds 10 points your candidate's Right to Bear Arms stance.
F) National Organization for the Support of Colored People:
- Adds 5 points to your candidate's Affirmative Action stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Civil Rights stance.
G) National Tax Payer's Federation:
- Adds 5 points to your candidate's Spending Freezes or Cuts stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Tax Cuts stance.
H) National Union Action Network:
- Subtracts 5 points from your candidate's Outsourcing of Jobs stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Unions stance.
I) The Environmentalists Club:
- Subtracts 5 points from your candidate's Drilling in ANWR stance.
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's The Environment stance.
J) U.S. Chamber of Business:
- Adds 10 points to your candidate's Capitalistic Policies stance.
- Adds 5 points to your candidate's NAFTA stance.
2) Operatives
All Operatives cost 3 PC by default.
A) Fixer: Eliminates one of your opponent's Activists or Operatives in one
state only.
B) Consultant: Raises awareness by 4% per week in whatever state you put her
in.
C) Smear Merchant: Decreases opponent's ratings on all issues by 15% in
whatever state you put him in.
D) Spin Doctor: Increases your candidate's ratings on all issues by 15% in
whatever state you put him in.
E) Web Master: Decreases ad costs by 75% in the state you put him in. Also
decreases cost of maintaining said ads. Highly effective!
F) Intimidator: Decreases your opponent's awareness by 5% per week in
whatever state you put him in.
3) Activists
You may only find Activists by triggering a Random Event.
A) Cheerleader: She's cute, she's bubbly, and she doubles the effect of
awareness in whatever state she's in.
B) Heckler: He's so outspoken, he'll double stamina costs for your opponent
in whatever state he's in. Can be moved multiple times.
C) Hollywood Friend: He just goes to show that it's not what you know, it's
who - and he increases awareness by 3 points per week in whatever state he's
in.
D) Jaded Consultant: Watch out for this guy, who spends all his time lowering
your candidate's ratings by 10% in whatever state he's in. Unfortunately (or
perhaps not an issue, depending on where you find him), he can't be moved.
E) Kook: What random effect this guy might have is unclear, but he can raise
or lower your rating on a random issue in whatever state you put him in. Did
I mention that he's random?
F) Media Darling: She's SO likeable that it's almost unfair. Oh, and she
raises your candidate's overall ratings by 10%! Per week!
G) Money Man: He's rich and he's got money to burn. Also, he increases your
candidate's fundraising ability by 25% in whatever state you put him in.
Can't be relocated.
H) Movie Producer: This guy lowers your ad costs by 50% in whatever state you
put him in. Imagine... a movie producer and a webmaster in one state... Can
you say it with me now? "Free ads!"
I) Scandal Monger: Be glad he's on your side because he cuts your opponent's
ratings by 50% in whatever state you put him in.
J) Storyteller: Who wouldn't want a nice old lady telling stories about you?
Put her in a state, and she'll double your candidate's compassion rating.
K) Time Waster: Ugh. Just pray you don't get this guy because he drains all
your candidate's remaining stamina. Luckily, he doesn't stick around
afterwards.
L) War Hero: Ten hut! This commando... er, guy, will increase your
candidate's Military rating in whatever state he's in.
--------------------------------------------------
VI. The Hard Data
Here, I've included specific info. on what it costs to do what in-game.
1) Stamina Costs
A) Moving state to state: 1 point
B) Creating an ad (regardless of media): 3 points
C) Building PC: 3 points per PC point
D) Fund-raising: 3 points per attempt
E) Building/Upgrading HQ's: 4 points per level
F) Giving a speech: 5 points
2) Political Capital Costs
A) Endorsements: ~8 points per Endorsement (I've seen it go as low as 6 and
as high as 10 before, and I'm not sure what affects this).
B) Operatives: 3 points per Operative by default. Each Operative increases by
one point in cost every time you hire that Operative. You may only hire 2
Operatives per week.
3) Money Costs
A) Moving from state to state: ~$25,000 per state (again, this seems to
fluctuate depending on current game settings)
B) Creating an ad:
1. Newspaper - $50,000 to create, $3,000 per month to maintain.
Advantages: Cheap, effective, long-lasting; Disadvantages: minor effect on
voter's opinions
2. Radio - $250,000 to create, $20,000 per month to maintain.
Advantages: Quite effective, more effect on voter's opinions; Disadvantages:
expensive, shorter lifespan
3. TV - $450,000 to create, $30,000 per month to maintain.
Advantages: Very effective, high effect on voter's opinions; Disadvantages:
very expensive, shortest lifespan
C) Building/Upgrading HQ's:
1. Building an HQ - $250,000 (earns $10,000 weekly)
Advantages: Earns awareness, relatively cheap; Disadvantages: none really,
but doesn't earn as much awareness as upgraded HQ's do.
2. Upgrade level one - $500,000 (earns $30,000 weekly)
Advantages: More awareness, fair trade-off for cost; Disadvantages: not
really useful on lower difficulty levels.
3. Upgrade level two - $1 mil (earns $90,000 weekly)
Advantages: High awareness, free political operative, lots of weekly money;
Disadvantages: Very expensive, not really useful unless playing higher
difficulty levels or against a Human opponent.
--------------------------------------------------
VII. The Issues
Here, I've included basic information on what effect it will have if you make
ads claiming your candidate supports each specific issue. Obviously, if you
make ads claiming your candidate opposes the following issues, then the effect
will be opposite of the one listed.
1) Main Issues
A) Top Issues (Default)
1. The War on Terror - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
2. The Iraq War - Supporting this raises your appeal to Republicans and
independents, while lowering your appeal to Democrats.
3. Tax Cuts - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to Republicans and
independents, while lowering your appeal to Democrats.
4. Deficit Reduction - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to all
voters.
5. Capital Punishment - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
6. More Jobs - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
7. Freedom of Speech - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
8. Universal Health Care - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats,
but the effect on independents and Republicans depends on game settings. Check
first.
9. Public Education - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
10. Abortion Rights - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and
sometimes independents, while lowering your appeal to Republicans.
11. The Environment - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
12. Outsourcing of Jobs - Supporting this lowers your appeal to all voters.
13. Social Security - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
14. Gay Marriage - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and
sometimes independents, while lowering your appeal to Republicans.
15. A Strong Military - Effect of support of this issue depends on state, check
first.
16. Prescriptions for Seniors - Supporting this sometimes raises your appeal
to all voters. Check first.
17. Unions - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and independents,
while sometimes lowering your appeal to Republicans.
B) Other Main Issues
1. Adopting EU policies - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and
sometimes independents, while usually lowering your appeal to Republicans.
2. Affirmative Action - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and
sometimes independents, while lowering your appeal to Republicans.
3. Alternative Energy - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and
usually independents, while normally lowering your appeal to Republicans.
4. Big Government - Supporting this usually lowers your appeal to all voters.
5. Capitalistic Policies - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to all
voters.
6. Campaign Finance Reform - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to all
voters.
7. Deposing Castro - Supporting this usually lowers your appeal to all voters.
8. Drilling in ANWR - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters
(Alaska only).
9. An Economic Recovery - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
10. Equality of Opportunity - Supporting this generally raises your appeal to
all voters.
11. Equality of Results - Supporting this normally raises your appeal to all
voters.
11. Fighting Crime - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
12. Fighting Internal Unrest - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
13. Foreign Aid - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats, while
normally lowering your appeal to independents and Republicans.
14. France - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
15. Giving the UN more power - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats
and sometimes independents, while lowering your appeal to Republicans.
16. Globalization - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
17. Government Provided Jobs - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to
all voters.
18. Gun Control - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats, while
usually lowering your appeal to independents, and always to Republicans.
19. Harsh Interrogations - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
20. Homeland Security - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to all
voters.
21. Illegal Immigration - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to
Democrats and independents, while lowering your appeal to Republicans.
22. Invade Iran - Supporting this sometimes raises your appeal to Republicans,
while normally lowering your appeal to Democrats and independents.
23. Korean Diplomacy - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
24. Kyoto Treaty - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
25. Legalizing Marijuana - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to
Democrats and independents, while lowering your appeal to Republicans.
26. Microsoft - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
27. Missile Defense - Supporting this raises your appeal to Republicans, while
lowering your appeal to Democrats and sometimes independents.
28. More Jobs - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
29. More Money to Education - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to
all voters.
30. More trade with China - Supporting this normally raises your appeal to all
voters.
31. NAFTA - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to all voters.
32. National Martial Law - Supporting this usually lowers your appeal to all
voters.
33. North Korean Action - Supporting this will probably raise your appeal to
Republicans and sometimes independents, while lowering your appeal to
Democrats.
34. Overthrowing Iran - Supporting this usually lowers your appeal to all
voters.
35. Policies of Ronald Reagan - Supporting this raises your appeal to
Republicans and sometimes independents, while lowering your appeal to
Democrats.
36. Political Correctness - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to all
voters.
37. Prayer in Public Schools - Supporting this sometimes raises your appeal to
Republicans, while normally lowering your appeal to independents and
Democrats.
38. Privatize Social Security - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check
first.
39. Protecting Liberties - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
40. Right to Bear Arms - Supporting this normally raises your appeal to all
voters.
41. Right to Die - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
42. Sanctions against Iran - Supporting this raises your appeal to Republicans,
and sometimes also to independents and Democrats.
43. School Vouchers - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
44. Socialistic Policies - Supporting this usually lowers your appeal to all
voters.
45. Spending Freezes or Cuts - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
46. States Rights - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
47. A Strong Federal Government - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check
first.
48. Supporting Israel - Supporting this usually raises your appeal to
Democrats and independents. The effect on Republicans is mixed.
49. Supporting Palestinians - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats,
while having a mixed effect on independents, and lowering your appeal to
Republicans.
50. Tort Reform - Supporting this raises your appeal to all voters.
51. Traditional Values - Supporting this raises your appeal to Republicans and
independents, while lowering your appeal to Democrats.
52. Welfare Programs - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats, while
usually lowering your appeal to independents and Republicans.
53. Women in the Military - Supporting this raises your appeal to Democrats and
usually independents, while sometimes lowering your appeal to Republicans.
54. Workfare - Supporting this has a mixed effect. Check first.
2) Fantasy Issues
I'm not sure what effect supporting these issues has, but some of them are
quite funny.
A) Issues that might be real, or at least could be
1. ATM Fees
2. Colony on Mars
3. Government TV Channels
4. Mandatory Biking
5. Owl Sanctuaries
6. Ronald Reagan Holiday
B) Totally imaginary issues, but fun nonetheless
1. Backyard Oil Drilling
2. Cloning Elvis
3. Crossbreeding Cats & Dogs
4. Duck Herding
5. Florida is Best Day
6. Merging with Canada
7. Mosquito Elimination
8. Uncovering Alien Conspiracy
9. Welcoming Alien Visitors
--------------------------------------------------
VIII. Glossary of Terms
Here, I've included a roundup of the terms used in this FAQ, and in the game.
Activist - A person found in game via a random event.
Campaign Play - A series of games played against a computer opponent, the end
result of which is unlocking characters within the game.
Charisma - Otherwise known as charm, or how able your candidate is to enchant
voters.
Comeliness - Literally, how good-looking your candidate is in voters' eyes.
Compassion - How empathetic your candidate appears in voters' eyes.
Credibility - How believable your candidate is to voters.
Experience - How much political experience your candidate has.
Fantasy Play - A single-player game designed to be more of a "Free Play"
scenario.
Fund-raising Ability - How much money your candidate can raise in a given
state, although it also depends on how wealthy that state is.
HQ - Headquarters, otherwise known as Campaign Headquarters.
Integrity - The higher the number is, the more steadfast your candidate
appears to voters.
Intelligence - How smart your candidate is in voters' eyes.
Media Bias - The higher the number is, the more the media will pay attention
to your candidate, and therefore the more your presence in the media will be
felt by voters.
Military Experience - The higher the number is, the more time your candidate
has spent in Military service.
Minority Appeal - How appealing your candidate is to minority voters.
Operative - A person hired in game to achieve a specific result in a specific
state.
PC - Political Capital, a key resource in TPM.
Quick Play - A single session, single-player game.
Religious - The higher the number is, the more religious your candidate
appears to voters.
Stamina - Key resource in TPM.
TPM - The Political Machine, a game by Stardock Entertainment.
--------------------------------------------------
IX. Secrets and stuff
Psst. You wanna know a secret? Huh? What's that? You wanna know if there's
any cheat codes? I just found out the following Cheat Codes:
1) More Money: "Ben the Great" says: "The only thing you have to do to
activate it is hit CTRL + M at any point on the map screen, and this will make
your money total $5 million. Be careful, though, because this can actually
bring your money total down, if for some reason it was higher than $5 million."
2) Rally States: According to a whole slew of sites, if you hit CTRL-R, this will
ostensibly rally the states.
What's that? You wanna know if there's a trainer available? I happen to know
that there is one available at Cheat Happens, but I don't know if it works.
What's that? You want to know if you can edit any of the files in the Data
folder? Huh? You didn't know there was a Data folder? Well... there is. And you
CAN edit the files in there. You just gotta be careful. No, nothing drastic
will happen if you mess up. The worst that could happen is your game will stop
working. In which case I'd highly recommend reinstalling the game (it doesn't
take too long) and keeping your hands off the files in the Data folder.
But... if you're willing to experiment a little, you CAN tweak the game. Just
be forewarned that, in some cases, editing of the files in the Data folder
causes Multiplayer to be disabled. If you don't plan to ever play this game
on Multiplayer, then forge on.
Note: You'll need a good text-editor, such as Notepad, to view and edit the
files. Also, by default, the folder for the files you want to edit is
C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Stardock\PolMachine\Data.
CAUTION: Back up ALL files you intend to edit, in case something really weird
happens. Also, though this probably goes without saying, don't have the game
running while you're editing files.
1) Files you can edit
A) CampaignUsers.Users
This one's pretty simple. It contains the info for which candidates are
locked up at the beginning of the game. Delete all info under
[LockedPotrtraits] and [LockedCandidates] and you will now have all
candidates unlocked. Editing this doesn't disable Multiplayer, oddly enough.
B) CoreCandidates.CANDIDATE
Be careful here. You can edit the settings for each candidate to your liking,
but DON'T MESS WITH THE FORMATTING. Adding candidates is okay, as long as you
follow the EXACT formatting for the other candidates already present. Editing
this file disables Multiplayer.
C) Prefs.ini
There's no real reason to edit this as you can set up all the options in-
game.
2) Files you probably shouldn't edit, but can if you're VERY careful
A) Any of the .questions files
These are in some quirky format that doesn't show up well in Notepad, so be
careful. If you're going to edit the questions, pay attention to where the
tags are (such as CRAZYRESPONSE and whatnot). These tell the game how to
adjust voters' opinions of you based on your answer, and messing with them
can cause serious repercussions.
B) English.str
Here, you can tweak the in-game text if you like (and, I suppose, if you
wanted to, translate the entire game to Ancient Greek or whatever). The only
reason I wouldn't touch this file is it is very important to the game being
able to run correctly.
C) CampaignLadder.Ladder
I wouldn't do anything too outrageous here. If you want to change the order
of the candidates, fine, but that's about all I'd suggest doing.
D) MainIssues.Issues, and Issues.Fantasy
Actually you probably shouldn't touch these ones, but if you do, don't edit
the game tags, which are always in ALL CAPS.
E) Core.SpecialInterests
Again, if you decide to alter this, don't alter the game tags. Editing this
disables Multiplayer.
F) CoreMaps.PolMap
Contains all the default political data for all 50 states. Just be careful
here as you probably don't want to do anything too extreme. Editing this
disables Multiplayer.
3) Files you should NOT edit.
A) Anchors.dat
This important file contains information on things like window sizes.
B) Traits.issues
Contains text naming each trait, such as Charisma.
C) AutoSave.PMSAVE
Yeah. Good luck even translating this one.
4) A special note on custom candidates
You can create a custom candidate for any game mode. Once you do, he or she
will show up in your C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\Stardock\PolMachine\Data folder
with a .candidate suffix. You can edit this file (without disabling
Multiplayer in the process) as you would the CoreCandidates.CANDIDATE file.
In fact, it helps to use one of the candidates in the
CoreCandidates.CANDIDATE file as a template, as your default custom candidate
comes with no special traits (this is where knowing game tags comes in
handy), which are what defines his or her stance on the issues. Note that all
the game tags you might need to know are in the MainIssues.issues file
(remember that the tags are always in ALL CAPS). Otherwise, use the default
formatting as a guide.
--------------------------------------------------
X. Bugs, Observations, and Wish List
Here, I've included a list of known bugs, along with a list of personal
observations. Finally, there's a Wish List. Submissions are welcome.
1) Bugs
A) Generic
+ The music will suddenly start playing again after an abrupt stop.
B) Specific
No specific bugs known at this time.
2) Observations
A) Personal
1. Where's J.F.K.? We got L.B.J., but no J.F.K. What gives?
2. There's no way to choose who gets to go first in single-player.
3. Despite the presence of independent voters in game, there is no way to make
an independent candidate.
4. A pro-active campaign works better than running negative ads.
5. The thing about random events is it's hard to get them before the computer
does.
B) Outside observations
1. "[Political Capital] doesn't matter all that much in the earlier stages." -
"Ben the Great"
3) Wish List
A) General Suggestions
1. "Scenario" mode - Set the current year, political climate, and likely issues
to appear.
2. More issues, and/or ability to edit/add to those issues.
3. When creating a custom candidate, allow players more points to assign, and
also allow players to adjust issue stances without having to edit game files.
4. Deeper campaign mode that allows the player to start from scratch, bringing
his/her candidate from City level (e.g. Mayor) to National level (e.g.
President)
5. Allow candidates to debate against one another.
B) Specific Suggestions
1. Additional Presidents: John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S.
Truman, and maybe John Adams.
2. Politicians: Jesse Ventura, Ross Perot, and maybe Newt Gingrich.
3. Important figures: Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, John Lennon, Bill
Gates, and maybe Donald Trump.
4. Celebrities: Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and
maybe Barbara Walters.
5. Fun Candidates: Alfred E. Neuman, Donald Duck, Superman, Garfield, and
maybe The Godfather/Marlon Brando.
C) Reader suggestions (submit your selections and get added here!)
1. Al Sharpton, Ralph Nader, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Gen. George S. Patton,
Colin Powell, Michael Jackson, and Rick James. - "Ben the Great"
2. "More [than two] political parties! Where're the Greens, the Libertarians,
etc.?" - Kristopher Ludka
--------------------------------------------------
XI. Acknowledgements, etc.
Here, I've included Acknowledgements, Contact info, and Legal stuff.
1) Acknowledgements
+ Stardock Entertainment, for making this game.
+ My family and friends, for their support.
+ Contributors to this FAQ:
- The Political Machine (hey, I didn't make up those stats and that info)
- The Internet Public Library: http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/
- Google's search tool (actually, this one and the last one were more of a
resource in doing the research for the candidate section)
- George W. Bush and John Kerry (in a very indirect way)
- "Ben the Great"
- Kristopher Ludka
2) Contact info
Name: Craig Gettman
e-mail: nerf_herder42@yahoo.com
You may contact me if it's related to this game or this FAQ. If it's to
contribute, please include whatever name or alias you'd like me to credit you
by. If it's to compliment me, great! If you want to tell me this FAQ sucks,
please at least tell me why so I can fix it. I also welcome corrections, and
I will also give credit where credit is due there, but pointing out
spelling/grammar errors won't get you credit. :p
3) Legal Info
The Political Machine is Copyright 2004 by Stardock Entertainment and
Ubisoft.
Smallville is Copyright 2004 by Warner Brothers and Millar/Gough.
All other trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective trademark
and copyright holders.
This FAQ is Copyright 2004 by Craig Gettman. I grant permission to the
following to publish this FAQ, in part or in its entirety, at the discretion
of the individual persons responsible for the content of said sites:
1. Cheat Code Central - http://www.cheatcc.com/
2. Cheat Happens - http://www.cheathappens.com/
3. GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com/
4. IGN - http://www.ign.com/
5. Neoseeker - http://www.neoseeker.com/
6. DLH - http://dlh.net
7. ActionTrip - http://www.actiontrip.com/
8. GameFaqs - http://www.gamefaqs.com/
Any other site, person, or entity wishing to publish this FAQ must first
obtain permission by me to do so. If you (the individual reading this) find
this FAQ on any site other than the ones listed above, or in any form aside
from electronic, please notify me.
4) Links
A) Official
1. The Political Machine [official website] - http://www.politicalmachine.com/
2. Ubisoft - http://www.ubisoft.com/
3. Stardock Entertainment - http://www.stardock.com/
B) Unofficial
Note: if you have a fan site, or know of one, please contact me and I'll list
it here.
c) Political Links
1. Democratic Party (DNC) - http://www.democrats.org/
2. Republican Party (RNC) - http://www.rnc.org/
3. Green Party - http://www.gp.org/
4. Libertarian Party - http://www.lp.org/
5. Directory - http://dir.yahoo.com/Government/U_S__Government/Politics/Parties
--------------------------------------------------
XII. The end of the FAQ
You have reached the end of the FAQ. If you feel you've reached this section
in error, please Page Up and try again. If you require assistance, press
Ctrl-F and type in the term you're looking for. Thank you and have a nice
day.